Bullet Points:
** Saints’ bones worked during the medieval ages, but will they motivate the Russians on the Ukrainian Front today? Desperate times call for drastic measures. (h/t Claudio) Bone fragments from the sword hand of a medieval Russian prince who won a famous victory over the Mongols have been sent to the front in Ukraine to raise army morale in the Russian Orthodox Church’s latest show of support for President Vladimir Putin’s war. The sarcophagus of Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy, who died in 1389 and is revered by Russian nationalists for defeating the Mongol Golden Horde at the 1380 Battle of Kulikovo, was uncovered this summer during restoration work at Moscow’s Cathedral of the Archangel inside the Kremlin. VM Comment – If you have doubts, I have six pieces of the original True Cross left to sell in my religious trinket collection. If they just look like wood shavings from a rough-cut pine 2×4, you need to bolster your faith, heretic! A one-ounce gold Krugerrand will get you an original piece of the True Cross. If you want blood on it, there will be an additional upcharge.
** Housekeeping – expect spotting blogging at VM for a few days. Update on Interventions, the fifth book in the Duelist series. For those of you who have read the series, Hud and Sleeping Wolf take to the trail together again. Expect a release in early November. (link to book four in the series here) Thanks to Boron and Al, who reviewed the book, and to WSF, who tried to.
** Every time this administration ramps up domestic production or leans on a foreign supplier, critics predict $200-a-barrel gas and a wrecked economy. Every time, the number doesn’t arrive —and the same critics move on to the next doomsday prediction without ever circling back to the last one.
** The ChiCom PLA – watching the US in the Iran War. China is looking for an answer to one question, and it just got one. China has been watching and observing from afar the U.S. war in Iran and treating it like a live-fire test of the weapons, tactics, and technologies that could shape a future fight over Taiwan. In this episode, we break down what PLA military writers learned about American stealth bombers, AI targeting, missile defense, drone swarms, logistics, chokepoints, and alliance pressure. Iran revealed both strengths and weaknesses in China’s strategy, and gave Beijing a much clearer picture of how a war with the United States could actually unfold in the Pacific if fighting ever breaks out around Taiwan.
** A note on the Trump White House – It is a residence and a government office, and while I applaud the expansion of the East Wing (long needed) and the demolition of the Obama basketball court (see government office above). I think the place needs a private gym because the people who work there need a place to exercise, and security requirements make that difficult. So yes, a gym, locker room, and shower. The gold stuff that the president puts everywhere is great for his office in Trump Tower or his 757 airplane, but it’s not a palace. As is, I feel that the gold – everywhere – is overdoing it. It is the people’s house. It can be nice and elegant without gold chachki everywhere. The White House was/is currently very cramped and small given what is expected of it. The expansion will let it be used more fully. Then again, that’s just my take, and so on. When Trump goes, the gold will go.
** President Donald Trump has rejected a request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for direct U.S. military strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen. The Saudi crown prince reportedly contacted Trump twice as Houthi forces rapidly advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and moved closer to the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Washington has so far declined to launch direct attacks on the Houthis, while offering Saudi Arabia intelligence and targeting assistance instead. The decision keeps U.S. forces from entering another direct military front in Yemen, even as the Houthi advance threatens a critical maritime route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and global energy shipments. The White House has emphasized maintaining freedom of navigation through the Red Sea while leaving the broader fight against the Houthis to regional partners
The floor is yours to sound off.
Identify the Aircraft
1
2
3
End
(1) IDK. Seems like it would be cheaper to drop bombs on the enemy than infantrymen, though.
(2) Handley-Page Hampden.
(3) Seversky P-35.
– Kle.
1 – Yes but there are always malcontents. “Dr. Mrs. WSF…”
Who me?
Identify the Aircraft
1 – Polikarpov R-5
2 – Handley Page Hampden
3 – Seversky P-35
Outstanding
Fuel prices:-
Gone nuts here in the last week or so.
I’m still not driving post op but diesel has hit $2.70 a litre or $10.25 US gal.
Petrol is $2.25 a litre or $8.55 gal when my wife filled car today.
Trump is blaming that on Z-Sky hitting Russian diesel production.
Asking him to stop.
X2
Zelenskyy needs to stop in every way (breathing would be a good start), but that’s a different issue.
Yeah, I’m sure that this idiot war of choice (or the war to keep Netanyahu out of Israeli courts for corruption [1]) has nothing to do with domestic fuel prices. Anyway, hold on to your hats, because $2.70 a liter likely only reflects pre-Bab-el-Mandeb.
Weren’t we supposed to get tired of all the winning? Well, I’m not tired. Because there isn’t much winning going on here, despite Trumpian pronouncements.
Cripes, the absolute state of American geopolitics. We’re reduced to a minstrel show: Houthis and the Blowhard.
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[1] That’s mostly sarcasm: this is the war of “Use America up to the last dreg, now, because the next generation is not buying our bullshit.”
October 7th was the thing to keep Netanyahu out of the courts.
I’ve only been here a few months, but I’m guessing you’re the token bomb thrower? That would be at home on MSDNC. “idiot war of choice”? Do you really not know the history?
You’re starting to influence Larry, too. He’s increasingly pessimistic of late.
Rush used to tell stories about how people told him how he Should be running his show to avoid all the mistakes he’s making.
I think most conservatives agree that the way we’ve done business for the last few decades needs to change.
I’m pretty sure Larry does his own thinking regardless of what I say.
The way we’ve done business since 1913 needs to change.
As far as “MSDNC”? Oh, you have no idea. Bwahaha!
There are the old conservatives like George Will and Bill Crystal, who, in my view, have always been affected by a species of insanity…the old school tie crowd. Even though I have rubbed shoulders with those “old conservatives,” I would never be admitted to that sort of society. But I never wanted to be – never had my nose pressed up against the glass, yearning to be like them. The populists, of whom President Trump is one, pander to the crowd in a way that doesn’t hold much appeal for me. I like President Trump, and I’m optimistic, not pessimistic. The “New York” part of ANYONE can be a little tough to take if you’re not from New York. The modern democrats hold no appeal to me – the Obamas (Chicago Machine), and Biden was always a joke- who, in more recent times, was referred to as the “adult in the room.” Kamala Harris was a whore when she was young enough to pull it off. I have nothing against whores. Historically, some whores were very smart. Unfortunately, America drew the short straw, and Kamala is a dumb whore.
Machiavelli said that “a good man must necessarily come to grief” when it comes to politics. I can not gainsay his perspective.
One positive to populism is it can force the political elites to pay some attention to the smelly commoners. The downside, as Larry mentions, is pandering to the crowds. Mobs fighting in the agora makes for poor policy decisions.
@ LL
“The “New York” part of ANYONE can be a little tough to take if you’re not from New York.”
no matter how you try to escape it, it you’ve spent your formative years there, no matter what societal level, you just can’t scrape it off
Don’t know if it’s possible – but could this be used as a reason to remove the pee additive?
And I was groaning/moaning when diesel hit $5.50+ last time I filled up my F 350. With the dry spell in Central Texas thankfully not having to use the tractor too often. Yesterday, saw diesel at $6.09/gal at one station. But, I’m not waffling with my support of the Pres.!
Even if oil hits the magic market balance number this price at the pump jump will take months to come down…paid nearly $6 a gallon Saturday. Time to ramp up domestic oil production.
Gas today where I fill up
Regular: $3.54 per gallon Mid-grade: $4.14 per gallon Premium: $4.34 per gallon Diesel: $4.69 per gallon
That’s within a couple of cents of what I saw up here in north Texas today.
I attempted to leave a review on your latest excellent book in the series. Firstly the zon didn’t recognize my password, and then wanted me to put together a puzzle to prove my sincerity? I will attempt later with my lovely wife’s assistance (enter her eye roll here), as these things not so much frustrate me so much as just irritate myself. A pox on the house of Zon!
Thank you for the effort.
“clearer picture of how a war with the United States could actually unfold in the Pacific”
Perhaps dissuade them?
The Chinese are going for the sure thing.
Agree on the gold.
x2
BTW it’s טשאַטשקע • tshatshke and pl tshatshkes. It’s Yiddish derived from the Polish czaczka, a toy
more info
a chachki/tshatshke (usually, in a situation like this) is used in the plural – they’re the gewgaws your mother had on her ornament shelf – and when she passed, your wife wouldn’t have/display them for love nor money.
a chachki/tshatshke is also a word employed by young men watching a babe or a doll, never a derogatory like shlyukhe
to bore everyone more:
Thinking about the phraseology:
“It can be nice and elegant without gold chachki everywhere.”
Do your remodeling, just don’t *ongepatshket [אָנגעפּאַטשקעט]; WTP don’t need to be reminded that you’re wealthy – and while we don’t want PortaPotties, neither do we need solid gold toilet flush handles.
* ongepatshket: picture a very elderly woman (in Miami) slathered in make-up (as a result all the creases/folds in her face are exaggerated) wearing her **oysgetrogne [אויסגעטראָגענע] mink.
**it would have been a very great kindness to put this animal to sleep years ago
👍
Trump rejected MBS request – Thank you Pres Trump! The Saudis are part of this problem and they need to step up and take the lead in solving it. I think we had to do something about Iran, but we need to let the middle east figure out how to fix the middle east and the gulf situation. The Saudi’s want to hire out all of the dirty jobs – It’s time they clean up their own backyard.
NONE of the ethnic Saudis want to do much more than bang non-Muslim tail while floating the Med in a large yacht.
Juvenile retort suppressed at great effort.
.
I never see the graphic of the red head at the microphone without hearing Linda Ronstadt singing “What’s New?” in my head, the fact that Ms. Ronstadt is not a red head be damned.
Wild! Good call.
To floating in the Med., etc. when they are out of country “traveling” their dietary restrictions are relaxed. Throwing back some shots of booze and eating pig meat has been observed.
They like bacon just as much as the rest of us do.
Agreed, but don’t forget they like the occasional goat tail below deck. 🐐
-STA Lethal
Russia and fuel – question seen elsewhere. In 2025 Russia reopened some LNG sites and started putting LNG on floating platforms. In 2026 the embargo against Russia was relaxed to allow the sale of LNG currently on floating platforms. Did Russia just get lucky, or were they told something ahead of time?
The video on lessons China learned in the Iran war was very good. I would like to see the video of what lessons we learned. I blinked at the billion drone comment in the video. We are not ready for that.
*
LL’s new book “Vengeance and Retribution” is very good. I’ve enjoyed the entire series. You can read the books out of order but it’s best to start with the first one to better understand the characters and plot lines. *
*
Btw am I the only one who has trouble spelling vengeance?
*
As to Saudi’s floating in the Mediterranean, better there than here.
*
As to the Houthis let the Saudi’s panic a bit. Then load up the B52 ‘s with conventional iron bombs to take the edge off for them.
no! and I have to look up bureaucratic every time – it always looks just wrong
I’m surprised the Houthi’s are getting away with it.
Didn’t we supply F-35s to the Kingdom?
The Saudis appear to want to return Yemen to it’s mythical traditional state of
stability with all the traditional players in all the traditional roles, and they
appear to want to do it w/o going all in on a war. I think this is never going to work,
and they just need to go all-in, all-options on the war, like the Emiratis appear
to have wanted to before the Saudis decided they would pretty much prefer war
with the UAE to prevent non-traditional victory. At least, AFAICT. I am no Gulf expert,
and the Saudis are behaving bizarrely to my way of thinking.
*
Until Saudi decides that the place needs cleaning up no matter who winds up running it,
I don’t think we need to provide too much support beyond keeping the Bab open.
– Kle.
From what I’ve picked up here and elsewhere, the Saudis want the hired help to do all the dirty work while they do all the elite things they think they deserve.
May be too much of a simplification.
Oil/Critics: No one has a crystal ball, even if they tell you they know…they don’t. All they can do is look at trends, but like weather-soothsayers it’s usually easier to look outside to see what’s what with Mother Nature, who similar to fungible markets, tends to be just as fickle.
***
Sounding Off: With a new week ahead, and having not paid attention to anything ‘newsy’ over the weekend, I’m like the EffBeeEye Boyz: ‘Watching’….for the next new shiny Chicken Little news object to emerge. What will it be? The Clancy Distraction is sorta over (maybe), Oil is getting jacked by all the usual world suspects, and WTP are taking it in the shorts economically…again. One exception was had though, I did see that – no surprise, they can’t help themselves but be scummy – the NBC reprobates have doxxed and invaded the home of our intrepid ‘holdout juror’ (as they call him)…special place in Hell for NBC et al as this guy was doing his conscripted civic duty and didn’t give ‘the them’ the outcome they demanded (ya, know, despite law and order and morals…stupid stuff like that). Matt Walsh had his inimitable excellent take.
*
Maybe the above attitude is due to completing another trip around the sun…at some point it all becomes distractive noise and generally worthless, despite my daily opining on multiple subjects here over the years, nothing has changed (well, except societal ‘things’ have gotten worse).
***
Real Question: How’s the plane doing…take her for a spin around the clouds yet?
The price of 87-octane gasoline at the Loves nearest to me is $4.22/gallon today.
.
The airplane still needs some work including fully installed upgraded avionics before it’s ready to fly.
Similar here for petrol, diesel is running $1.70+ more/gal, nearly $6 here. Getting old as trucking shipping costs have basically doubled since June, let alone hiring someone to haul their equipment or a load of stone. Fuel is partially responsible for grocery prices being higher…not so much ‘the food’ it’s the S&H in the supply chain going bonkers. I swear TPTB didn’t get their way with Duracell Vehicles (control the grid, control peoples ability to move about at will)…so are fiddling with oil to cause pain and suffering among the Peons. CAFE needs to go away, get the Federal gov’t out of vehicle design and manufacture, let the market decide, not some bureaucrat with an agenda. Dang near every car out there looks the same. Boring.
I use https://www.gasbuddy.com/ to find lowest prices; it gives price and when it was/is current
+1. Just now (1:00 pm local, Arlington, TX) Murphy Express is $3.62.
4.57 here. A jump of .30 overnight.
Gold elsewhere.
—
https://www.sott.net/article/508348-Russian-scientists-have-turned-golden-nanostars-into-weapons-against-cancer
I think it was close to twenty years ago that a dot Indian started using very tiny particles of iron inside sucrose which was injected into cancer sites, then following up with small doses of microwaves to kill the cancer cells with heat.
Down graded avionics.
—
https://x.com/clashreport/status/2099450620847521832
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Reminds of my dad’s recollection of being admonished as a young pilot in training in WWII, “Needle, Ball, and Airspeed!”. And gotta hand it to the Russians. They are nothing if not masters of the quick and dirty solution.
It was $4.59 for top grade Amoco at Ft Stewart this morning. Diesel was $6 to $6.49. I have had a half tank of diesel in my F350 for 2 months.
Is Baldinos still a popular sub shop?
Gas/diesel prices.
The producers are charging high prices because they can. Add scarce refining capacity. Example – Colorado has one refinery in Commerce City. Our petroleum products raw source in within a 500 mile radius. Likewise, refineries. Likewise natural gas. Whatever is happening in the Middle East only causes price increases locally because the owners of the refineries say it does. Yeah, now I sound like a socialist. Seems Big Oil is immune from anti-trust laws.
Do you remember the neat little stickers people put on gas pumps saying “Biden did that”? Then there’s relics. Of course yours are real and cannot be sold but CAN be donated for a donation, which is reasonable.
I used to have a relic of the Cross and several others. Is this ridiculous? Perhaps, but think, people were healed by touching St. Paul’s handkerchief, it’s in the Bible.
TPTB are sure making bank in this ” build back better” economy. Better for the top end, and ” for our protection ” we can shelter at home and receive trickle down dribbles of assistance to relieve the pains of a roaring boil inflation.
–
Our legally immigrated Canook SIL bought a tee with a scene from Jaws. Glasses, cigarette in the corner of the mouth with imminent danger in the background. We discussed the implications of the artist.
–
Here in TPDRO ( The People’s Democratic Republic of Oregon) there will never be a refinery, or mining. Bandon OR actually exported coal by sail to S.F. in the early 1900’s.
An attempt occurred in the late twenty teens when the solo coal fired generator in Boardman OR was converted to N.G. The Trumpet declared Oakland to be the port of choice to export WTP’S non renewable resource earlier this yr, as per V.M. bullet.
–
50 shades of gray autos; As posted here on V.M. the bright colors and design ingenuity of the good ol days and good times, going for a joy ride are like ” intelligent human interaction.” Teasured by some, and not even desired by the masses.”
P.S. I forgot to mention Chief Martin Brody being replaced in the meme with Kermit the frog. Q – boiled in water and unable to see what’s coming up from behind?
Sidebar (forgive the off topic semi-philosophical aspect): Lioness…In a word: Intense.
Question came to mind after watching Ep’s 6&7 (latest, of 8)…edge of seat stuff: What would you do if someone came after you and you managed to escape/survived, crawl into a hole and hide or find out who it was then go after them? This, as a Christian and knowing vengeance is God’s…but we are being subject to all manner of lies, freedom robbing actions by those who supposedly work for us, massive economic pressure, seriously bad actors being let out by corrupt judges, parole boards, DA’s, even foreign scumbags on our soil…and in some places it’s only a matter of time when some evil-doer (polite term) will take it out on you when you least expect it, their assumed easy target. Then what??…especially when WTP know law enforcement can do nothing to protect and the so-called justice system is useless?
– Just a thought.
In extremis, should you act as God’s travel agent – aiding accelerated judgment?
Therein lies the rub…if someone was going after MrsPaulM, did ‘something’…my nature as a man would be to take out the threat, even if I have to hunt them down.
Ex. Moons ago was in the waiting room of a place in Boulder, a ‘group’ from Missouri (guess the demographic), had my small Daytimer, which was my ‘brain’, DL, credit cards, contacts, etc…I got a client call and did not realize it had slipped next to the seat arm then slipped to the floor. Not five minutes later when in the pickup saw I didn’t have the Daytimer, quick turned around and back went into the clonic…nowhere to be found and was not turned in…which means I knew who took it. Started tracking immediate purchases, and over the next few days after detective work tracked them to a local apartment building in Boulder…and sat and waited. Here they come, ready to go out on my nickel. At this point I had filed a police report so the locals were involved. I followed them while on the phone with the officer who was coming fast, passed me at 90mph and pulled them over. Backup arrives, pull them out…the rather large gal was pissed and resisting arrest…while wearing the clothes she just bought on my nickel to go out on the town. Same with the Mizzou football player who was driving and the other couple in the back…dressed quite well for college 20 somethings. Cop comes back to my pickup to verify ‘it was them’ (yup, kinda easy ID) and explains he found my cards…said he appreciate the easy arrest, then said, ‘Yeah, ‘the guy’ doesn’t look like a Paul or Polish’. Heh. Told him I just wanted my Daytimer back…which they finally admitted they tossed in the apartment dumpster. Never found it. Cops hauled them off. Did the DA prosecute? Nope…slap on the wrist, zero restitution back to the creditcard companies, while I had to rebuild my ‘brain’ with new cards, new DL, etc. Point is, We The People always take it in the shorts while a lot of these petty crooks who believe everything in life should be free for them and get a free pass.